Anisophyllea reticulata Kochummen

Chen, Xin, He, Hai & Zhang, Li-Bing, 2015, A monograph of the Anisophylleaceae (Cucurbitales) with description of 18 new species of Anisophyllea, Phytotaxa 229 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

57. Anisophyllea reticulata Kochummen (in Wong et al. 1987: 268) ( Figure 112 )

Type:— MALAYSIA. Pahang: Ulu Sungai Anak Endau , 180 m, 03 April 1968, P. F . Cockburn FRI 8112 (holotype KEP-169303!, isotypes A, K-H2008/100218-78!, L, SING) .

Tree s to 21 m tall, 38 cm in diam., bark reddish brown, smooth to splitting, slightly fluted at base; young branches pannose with yellowish hairs ca. 0.06 mm long; buds pannose with rusty hairs. Leaves dimorphic, internodes between similar types of leaves 1.3–2.2 cm, between two adjacent different types of leaves 5 mm; small leaves caducous, scale-like, ca. 0.3 mm long, 0.25 mm wide at base, glabrous; large leaves petiolate, petiole 1.5–2.0 cm long, 1.2–1.6 mm in diam., terete, furrowed adaxially, glabrous; leaf blade ovate-elliptic, to 10 cm long, 5 cm wide, base acute, slightly oblique, apex bluntly short-acute, thickly coriaceous, glabrous, adaxially lustrous and turning yellowish when dry, densely flocculent abaxially with brown hairs very short (ca. 0.05 mm long); main longitudinal veins 5–7, springing from blade base, midrib straight and bold, impressed adaxially and raised abaxially, inner 2–4 lateral veins springing from midrib at 0.5–2.5 cm above blade base, lateral main veins rather faint, outermost two lateral veins very fine and close to blade margins, often 1 or 2 disappearing into blade margins if with 6 or 7 lateral veins present, slightly prominent on both surfaces; transverse veins numerous, sub-parallel or irregular, at angles of 75–85° with the midrib; veinlets reticulate and tessellate, slightly prominent on both sides. Inflorescence a supra-axillary spike, solitary, simple or once-branched, with unevenly fascicled flowers; infructescence 1–4 cm long, ca. 3 mm in diam., densely tomentose with brown hairs to 0.13 mm long; flowers bisexual(?), minute, ca. 0.8 mm long, sessile, 4-merous, receptacle cylindric, ca, 0.4 mm long, 0.6 mm in diam., densely tomentose outside as on rachis; sepals deltoid, ca. 0.6 mm long, 1 mm wide at base, farinose on both surfaces, margin short-ciliate; petals minute, deltoid, ca. 0.3 mm long, 0.2 mm wide at base, abaxially with brownish hairs of ca. 0.06 mm long; stamens ca. 0.5 mm long, filaments thickened and compressed, ca. 0.16 mm

148 • Phytotaxa 229 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

CHEN ET AL.

wide at base, anthers subglobose, ca. 0.16 mm long; pistil densely pubescent with brown hairs to 0.13 mm long. Fruit a drupe, ellipsoid, to 2.5 cm long, 1.5 cm in diam., obtuse on both ends, with warts on surface.

Flowering and fruiting: —Flowering time unknown; fruiting in April.

Habitat and distribution: — In lowland rain forests, particular in ridge top; ca. 180 m. Malaysia (Pahang) ( Figure 113 ) .

Taxonomic notes: —When Anisophyllea reticulata was published, it was said to be different from any known species in the genus in Malay Peninsula in that it has very thickly feathery leaves that turn yellowish when dry. It is also special in that its leaves have the main longitudinal veins with midrib impressed while lateral veins are raised adaxially. We examined only one of its isotypes and we felt that its affinity with other species with flowers clustered in fascicles on rachis could not be clarified. More studies are needed.

Figures

FIGURE 112. Anisophyllea reticulata Kochummen. Fruiting branch (P. F. Cockburn FRI 8112; isotype, K-H2008/10021878!).

FIGURE 113. Geographical distribution of Anisophyllea reticulata Kochummen.